Locking means for rotary operating bars of door fasteners



'G. E. BATH LOCKING MEANS FOR ROTARY OPERATING BARS OF DOOR FASTENERS Filed Oct. 10, 1947 InVen/r: Qebrgg Z. Haj l1.

Patented June 21, 1949 LOCKING MEANS FOR ROTARY OPERATING BARS OF DOOR FASTENERS George E. Dath, Mokena, Ill., assignor to W. H.

Miner, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application October 10, 1947, Serial No. 779,154

4 Claims.

4 This invention relates to improvements in hold- I dug means for locking the rotary operating bar of a door fastener in position to hold the door closed. One object of the invention is to provide simple and eflioient means for locking the lever operated rotary bar of a door fastener in position with the door closed.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide in a door fastener of the lever operated type, a latch member rotatably supported on the bar for swinging movement in a plane parallel to the bar and arranged to be turned to a position crosswise of said bar to block the latter against rotation in door opening direction by engagement with a fixed abutment plate on the door.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly broken away, of the lower portion of one of the side walls of a railway car provided with the usual hinged doors and rotary door fastener, illustrating my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, corresponding substantially to the line 2--2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is an elevational view, looking upwardly in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 44 of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a view, similar to Figure 3, showing the latch member turned parallel to the bar to unlock the bar for rotation.

In said drawing, l indicates the side wall member of a railway car provided with an opening I I, closed by a pair of hinged doors I2 and I3. As is common practice, the doors I2 and I3 are beveled at their inner meeting edges, the door l2 overlapping the door l3 to hold the latter closed. The door l2 carries a rotary door fastener mechanism of Well-known design for forcing the door l2 closed and prying the same partly open, comprising a rotary operating bar l4, having keeper engaging crank members at the top and bottom ends cooperating with fixed keepers on the car wall above and below the door opening, only the lower keeper engaging crank member I and the lower keeper It being shown in the drawing. The bar is supported by top, intermediate, and bottom bearing brackets fixed to the door l2, the intermediate and bottom brackets only being shown, the samegbeing indicated by I! and I8, respectively. The bar I4 is provided withthe usual operating'lever l9, which is fixed to the outer side 2 of the bar, as shown in Figure 1, below the intermediate bearing bracket IT. The lever I 9 is of the fixed type, being rigid with the bar and projecting laterally at right angles therefrom.

My improved locking means comprises broadly a rotary latch member or bar A, supported on the bar l4, and a cooperating abutment or stop plate B fixed to the outer side of the door.

The rotary latch member A, which is shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, as fixed to the back of the bar, is in the form of an oblong plate, swingingly supported between its ends by a pivot member or pin 20 in the form of a rivet which extends through the member A, the bar 14, and the inner end or head 2| of the lever, I 9, this rivet also acting as a securing element to fix the lever to the bar. The lever is further secured to the bar by a second rivet 22 above the rivet 20. The latch member A corresponds in width to the bar i4 so that when it is turned to a vertical position, as shown in Figure 5, it is aligned with the bar.

The abutment or stop plate B is of greater length than width; and as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 5, is fixed to the outer side of the door [2 to the right of the bar It by screws 2323. As shown, the plate B is preferably arranged vertically in parallel relation to the bar and has its lower end slightly beveled off at the outer side, as indicated at 24.

Provision is made for sealing the latch member in the locked position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the handle lever l9 and the latch member being provided with cooperating perforated seal receiving lugs 25 and 26, adapted to accommodate the usual car seal, the lug 25 projecting laterally outwardly from the lower side of the lever l9 and the lug 26 projecting laterally outwardly from the upper side of the latch member A.

In the locked position of the fastener, the latch member A extends transversely of the bar M, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, with its right hand end abutting the plate B. In this position of the parts. the latch member A, by engagement with the plate B, effectively locks the bar I4 against rotation in door opening direction. In this transverse position of the latch member A, the sealing lug 25 of the lever and lug 26 of the latch member are in alignment with the perforations thereof registering to receive the usual car seal.

To unlock the bar I4 for rotation by the operating lever Hi to forc the door open, the latch member A is turned from the transverse position shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 to the vertical position in alignment with the bar l4, as shown in Figure 5, thereby freeing the bar to be rotated by swinging movement of the lever [B outwardly away from the door I: toward the right and over the door II.

In closing the door 12, the operating lever I9 is swung from right to left, back to the position shown inFigures1, 2, and 5, thereby camming the door l2 shut. To lock'the door fastener against movement in door opening direction, the latch member A is turned from its vertical position shown in Figure 5 to its transverse'or horizontal position, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4,1into overlapping relation with the abutment plate B, tight engagement with thisiplatebeing facilitated by camming engagement between the'latch member and th beveled face 24 at the lower end portion of the abutment plateB-over which the end of the latch member A rides in being turned to its horizontal position.

I claim:

'1. In a door fastener, the combination with a bar rotatably mounted on the door and having keeper engaging means thereon'engageable with fixed keeper means; of an elongated latch'plate pivoted between its ends on said bar for turning movement about an axis at right angles to the length of the bar, saldplate being turnable to position the same 'in either lengthwise alignment with the baro'r crosswise thereof, said plate when 'turne'd'to its position crosswise of the bar blocking .said'bar against rotation by engagement with-the door.

'2. In a'door'fastener, the'combination with a. bar rotatablymoun'ted on the door and having keeper engaging means thereon engageable with fixed keeper means; of an elongated latch'plate pivoted between its ends on. said bar for turning movement about an axis at right angles to thelengthof' the'bar, said plate being turnable to position the 'same in either lengthwisealignment with the bar-or crosswise thereof; and an abutment plate fixed to the outer side of said door with'which' the latch plate in its position 1 4 crosswise of the bar is engageable to hold said bar against rotation.

3. In a door fastener, the combination with a bar rotatably mounted on the door and provided with keeper engaging means cooperating with fixed keepers; of an operating lever fixed to said bar for rotating'the same, said lever extending at right angles to said harm a. plane parallel to the length of the latter; an elongated latch plate pivotally connected between its ends to said bar for rotation about an axis normal to the plane of said bar, said plate being turnable from a position parallel to and in lengthwise alignment with the bar to a position transverse of said bar with its opposite ends projectin beyond opposite sides of the bar, one end of said plate in said transverse position thereof engaging the outer side of the door to block rotation of the bar; and perforated cooperating seal receiving lugs on said lever and other end of said plate, said lugs being brought 'into'registration to receive a car seal when said with respect to said bar, said plate in one of's'aid positions being in lengthwise alignment with the bar to clear the door andperrnit rotation of the bar, said plate in the other of said positions being disposed crosswise of the bar with one of its ends projecting from the side of the bar to block rotation of the latter by engagement with the outer side of the door.

GEORGE E. DATH.

No references cited. 

